simple {but valuable} tips to juggle business & life


We are "Women in Business", or that's the title they give us.  Is it supposed to be something rare and that's why we get a label?  We say its something to be proud of.  As a woman, your life can be full of emotionally draining, fun, chaotic, busy-ness.. and that's before you even have your morning coffee.  So imagine all of those feelings wrapped up alongside a business you are trying to run.  Whether you are dreaming, starting out or are in the middle of it all- having a hand to help you along the way is one of the perks of being a girl.  We can be strong, we can be weak, we can fail, we can climb mountains.. one thing is for sure, we need our girlfriends & their advice sometimes!

Today I'm sharing a 2-part post here & with Maggie from Gussy Sews.  We have some amazing advice to keep you inspired in your business.  Some very influential friends are stopping by to share how they manage to schedule things around their home lives, who they look to for guidance and if they ever need help along the way..

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     ^ Ashley - The Vanilla Tulip

     ^ Elycia - Love, Elycia


     ^ Alicia - Three Bird Nest 


     ^ Lindsey - The Pleated Poppy


     ^ Ana - We Love Citrus


     ^ Maggie - Gussy Sews

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Wait, we aren't done!  You can catch my answer and what a few more of our friends had to say by heading over to Gussy Sews for the other 1/2 of this post.  

We would love to hear from you!  

Join in on the discussion, answer a question below (or all of them) or let our guests know what you think of their advice!
  • Do you keep a specific work schedule?
  • What are some of your favorite online resources you check out daily?
  • Do you use hired help for your business?
  • Being a business owner isn't for everyone, how does someone know if they are cut out for it?
  • In what ways do you try to find balance in your home if you work there too?

16 comments:

  1. Women are much better at working, and creating and managing a business than men! Maybe I am a bit biased!!

    Lauren,
    Fashionswirls.blogspot.com
    xx

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  2. love Maggie's advice! That is good to know!

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  3. I love this! As a mom of 3 working from home, I can relate to each women. It's nice to know I'm not alone in trying to juggle business and motherhood!

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  4. I do keep a schedule. Without it my mind would wander and I would spend every day thrifting :). I love what Ana said about it is 90% what you make it. I totally believe that.

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    1. One thing I've learned with scheduling is to schedule in time for the unknown. My days get so crazy so quickly, without that time I feel like things are very chaotic. Like right now, with getting ready to move across the country. There is never not enough free time. Or call your free time "margin" -- buffer in room for the unknown to happen! xo

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  5. I have no schedule:/ I find it way too hard to di that right now with 5 kids and 2 young boys (5 and 7) that are very active. My studio is upstairs in our home and the boys are usually outside. I can get away for an hour here and there but if I want to get to it, it has to be at night. Lately though, being pregnant with our 6th, I just want to get to bed after the kids are put to bed. My hope for the I Sew Lucky is that when the kids start school in a couple of weeks I will be able to have a schedule. Also hopefully get started on a better blog:)

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  6. Ahhh such a great post! Definitely helpful for a "hopeful" future business owner!
    xo Heather
    http://ahopelessnotebook.blogspot.com/

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  7. i need to create a schedule. right now it's just random late nights... no good.

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  8. Thank you ladies for sharing such a fabulous post. lil’ alice is just a baby, she’ll be 1 Jan. 1, 2012. It was a hobby but became a real business. Is it normal to 2nd guess to have made it a business. It sounded all fancy and morally correct.

    So my question is: are most of the bloggers/shops a business or have ladies kept it a hobby? Like the ones that participated in the post.

    I found that people were questioning me if I was a business & collecting taxes etc., because my biz is successful & I stay busy on a steady basis.

    Now I will answer one of your questions. How do I balance my time between the shop, family etc.

    I work outside the home too. Approx 10-20 hours a week. I have 2 boys, so junior high homework is awesome, not! I love to cook & bake so I am always cooking dinners. We have 2 sports 4 nights a week. And then some, that’s just the basics and equal amount of stuff that everyone else is doing. I manage my time because I am a time management freak. I am not late for anything. I’m a mental list maker, so I know when and what needs to be cleaned or washed or cooked or when I have a meeting or …… So I look at my day, see what commitments I have outside of the home & then based on time in between I either do house work, prepare meals or do biz stuff.

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    1. There are guidelines on how much you make (& if you intent to profit off your work) that are good to follow on classifying the work you do as a business or hobby. I believe its a federal thing and really its up to you to decide that and in my opinion is no ones business to question your intentions!

      I do recommend that if you choose to make it a business that you treat it as one with all the right licenses, business names and taxes that go along with it!

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    2. Thank you!

      Yes it's a business & I have all the paperwork & trademarks etc. It's just so nerve racking the first year.

      I just wish I had a close friend that was in it with me & I could pick her brain. Then I see posts like these and I want to get inside everyones head and gain wisdom as we sit around and chat about what it's like to have a biz.

      I appreciate posts like this, there's so much insight and wisdom!

      Thanks.

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  9. I'd kill to actually see an example of someone's schedule! It would be awesome to see it all laid out and how the time gets divided! :)

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  10. My biggest issue has been trying to focus on what I should make and develop my shop around. I like to do so many things, (sewing, crocheting, paper crafts, etc.) and haven't really found my niche. For this reason, I'm kinda stuck in "hobby mode". I don't give up, though. One day, I would like to be able to work from home. I figure it took me a couple of years to become knowledgeable and confident in my current job, so it'll be the same with turning my shop into a real business.

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    1. Its ok to have lots of different ideas, maybe for you developing a collection of sorts would keep things cohesive in look even if they aren't all the same thing. For instance, coming up with a theme then creating around it using all the tools and ideas you have.. rather then just making a ton of things and having no real direction.

      Good Luck!

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  11. wow lovely post and your blog is soooo great!
    go on!
    kisses from germany,
    ina

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